Fallout 3 Problems

[Meganium]

I just bought Fallout 3 on Steam a few days ago, and I downloaded it on my laptop the other day. After the download was finished, I repeatedly tried to launch it. However, when I click new game, it will start the loading screen for a few seconds, and then the game will crash. I've tried to validate the Steam files, but that did not help. And I'm pretty sure you guys wouldn't want to spend another 4 hours re-installing it either. :L

Any advice?

[Sugaree]

I just bought Fallout 3 on Steam a few days ago, and I downloaded it on my laptop the other day. After the download was finished, I repeatedly tried to launch it. However, when I click new game, it will start the loading screen for a few seconds, and then the game will crash. I've tried to validate the Steam files, but that did not help. And I'm pretty sure you guys wouldn't want to spend another 4 hours re-installing it either. :L

Any advice?

First, the obvious question: what OS are you running? Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7?

[Meganium]

Windows 7 64-bit, if I'm not mistaken.

[ids_happening]

Are you using an integrated GPU? If so, you have to change some .dll files to make the game think you are using a discrete GPU.

[Harry Smith]

re-installing it is probably the best bet

[Meganium]

Are you using an integrated GPU? If so, you have to change some .dll files to make the game think you are using a discrete GPU.

Don't believe I am. How would I go about changing these files then?

[Manga]

Why does no one ever use the resources they have?

use event viewer to find the error and read about the cause of it.

[Meganium]

Why does no one ever use the resources they have?

use event viewer to find the error and read about the cause of it.

Would you care to lead me through this process?

[Manga]

Would you care to lead me through this process?

Gladly.

In the bottom left hit your start icon, and then in the run menu (area where you can type) type in eventvwr, hit enter.

This is a program that logs EVERY error your computer handles. Very useful.
I'm assuming the particular error you are looking for is the system. So on the left, you will see Windows logs, and from there you can click system. From there just go through the errors and read the descriptions to see if you can find one relating to your fallout program.

Edit: Oh and for the most part you can usually ignore the white icon errors. May also be in the application section, so you can check there.

If you want to make looking through the errors easier, open fallout 3 and make it turn off again. Look at the time for when it shuts off, and then just go through the error logs and find it (the times of the error are logged too).

[Meganium]

Gladly.

In the bottom left hit your start icon, and then in the run menu (area where you can type) type in eventvwr, hit enter.

This is a program that logs EVERY error your computer handles. Very useful.
I'm assuming the particular error you are looking for is the system. So on the left, you will see Windows logs, and from there you can click system. From there just go through the errors and read the descriptions to see if you can find one relating to your fallout program.

Edit: Oh and for the most part you can usually ignore the white icon errors. May also be in the application section, so you can check there.

If you want to make looking through the errors easier, open fallout 3 and make it turn off again. Look at the time for when it shuts off, and then just go through the error logs and find it (the times of the error are logged too).

Ah. Much appreciated, Matt. I'll try that as soon as I can.

Should I post the related contents of the log here for review, or should it be pretty straightforward?

[Manga]

Ah. Much appreciated, Matt. I'll try that as soon as I can.

Should I post the related contents of the log here for review, or should it be pretty straightforward?

It should be fairly straight forward if you pay attention to the time the error occurs, and then just look up that time in the log.

[Meganium]

It should be fairly straight forward if you pay attention to the time the error occurs, and then just look up that time in the log.

Just checked moments ago. Three logs from 1:40pm to 1:41pm, gave data almost identical to this:



Log Name: System
Source: Service Control Manager
Date: 7/19/2013 1:41:13 PM
Event ID: 7036
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Branden-PC
Description:
The Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support service entered the running state.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Service Control Manager" Guid="{555908d1-a6d7-4695-8e1e-26931d2012f4}" EventSourceName="Service Control Manager" />
<EventID Qualifiers="16384">7036</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8080000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-07-19T17:41:13.961739100Z" />
<EventRecordID>124385</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="608" ThreadID="6884" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Branden-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="param1">Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support</Data>
<Data Name="param2">running</Data>
<Binary>770065007200630070006C0073007500700070006F00720074002F0034000000</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

Anything else I'm missing here? Or is this the data I'm looking for?

[Manga]

Possible fixes:
http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/973552-possible-solutions-to-crashing-other-issues/

[Sugaree]

Windows 7 64-bit, if I'm not mistaken.

The problem with Fallout 3 is that it wasn't optimized for Windows 7. They stopped patching it once Windows 7 came out. Find your Fallout3.exe file and change it to run in compatibility mode. Right click > Properties > Compatibility tab > Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows Vista (also try the service packs just in case).

Another reason is that Fallout 3 was, once again, not optimized to run on multi-core computers. For that problem, you might want to use Google, as I'm not sure how to fix the multi-core issues with the game. I myself am running on a multi-core processor but have never had any issues (except for running the Windows 7 fix).

[Meganium]

The problem with Fallout 3 is that it wasn't optimized for Windows 7. They stopped patching it once Windows 7 came out. Find your Fallout3.exe file and change it to run in compatibility mode. Right click > Properties > Compatibility tab > Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows Vista (also try the service packs just in case).

Another reason is that Fallout 3 was, once again, not optimized to run on multi-core computers. For that problem, you might want to use Google, as I'm not sure how to fix the multi-core issues with the game. I myself am running on a multi-core processor but have never had any issues (except for running the Windows 7 fix).

Tried changing the compatibility mode. Widows Vista, Xp, and all of their service packs failed. Some got farther than others, but still crashed nonetheless.

I've installed the game on another laptop with very similar specs, and it works perfectly fine. That laptop too has Windows 7, and a dual core processor. No additional steps were required to run it.

Update: I've looked into the multi-core fix and edited the .ini file as I was instructed. Success still eludes me. I'm strongly considering a reinstall at this point.

[Plasma]

Go to properties/local files/verify integrity of game cache. That always fixes my problems

[pingo5]

under the fallout 3 folder and edit fallout3.ini


Step 1)
Open up the fallout.ini file in: My DocumentsMy GamesFallout3
Find the line:
bUseThreadedAI=0
change it to:
bUseThreadedAI=1
Add another line after it and insert:
iNumHWThreads=2
This will limit the game to 2 cores and prevent the engine bug from causing the game to freeze.

THEN:
change compatability to (WINDOWS XP SP2)
try this!
not garaunteed, but its a shot.

[gothicsanctum]

did you consider the part on the store page about windows 7 not liking Fallout 3?
not optimized can mean many things.

[Meganium]

did you consider the part on the store page about windows 7 not liking Fallout 3?
not optimized can mean many things.

*a-HEM*

I've installed the game on another laptop with very similar specs, and it works perfectly fine. That laptop too has Windows 7, and a dual core processor. No additional steps were required to run it.

[mmorpglol]

i tried the game but it the game froze when i selected the gender and start to reply a 2 sec clip, guess my parents didn't want a boy ...

[pieman10]

If you have New vegas there is a mod that can merge new vegas and fallout 3, this means that fallout 3 will never crash as it's an extension of NV.
The mod is called tale of 2 wastelands.